Personal Finance Terms 101: Tax-Free

Your Own Travel Business With Coastal Vacations

 

Your Own Travel Business With Coastal Vacations

Word Count:
340

Summary:
The travel industry is big business. In fact, research shows it's a $5 trillion industry. And if you'd like to get in to grab your fair share of the profits – plus enjoy some travel – there's never been a better time to get started in your own business, especially with all the latest technology and Internet advances offering a verity of affordable marketing, sales networking and other opportunities.
 
And one company in particular with a top-notch travel product package is...

Keywords:
coastal vacations,coastal vacation,make money with travel,

Article Body:
The travel industry is big business. In fact, research shows it's a $5 trillion industry. And if you'd like to get in to grab your fair share of the profits – plus enjoy some travel – there's never been a better time to get started in your own business, especially with all the latest technology and Internet advances offering a verity of affordable marketing, sales networking and other opportunities.
 
And one company in particular with a top-notch travel product package is Coastal Vacations. For more than 10 years, they have been supplying lifetime discount vacation memberships and helping travelers save up to 75% off of their airfares, hotels, car rentals, cruises, condos and more. That's one super value package costing pennies on the dollar – and FOR LIFE.
 
Not only is the travel package awesome, the Coastal Vacations business enterprise offers a variety of tools and services for helping even the novice of entrepreneurs get started, including:
 
• A service center to answer phone calls from your prospects…so you can focus your time elsewhere.
 
• Presentations to your prospects for you …so you can focus your energy elsewhere.
 
• Marketing collateral so that your leads are transformed into customers …so you can use your budget on other things.
 
• Prompt payment from sales..so you don't have to worry about income.
 
Studies shows that roughly 95% of all home based business entrepreneurs are not earning income…at least not enough. But not Coastal Vacations.
 
About Coastal Vacations
 
At Coastal Vacations, in business for more than11 years, Coastal Vacations Directors watch their earnings increase multi-fold because the Coastal Vacations' tools actually do more than 95% of the work for them. And the results are that the Coastal Vacations system brings you no less than $1000 per sale.
 
So if you are truly looking for your own home-based business – complete with a great, proven product plus plenty of marketing, sales and other business tools to make it work – then Coastal Vacations is the business for you.

 

Misuse of Your Company's Software Volume License Keys Can Cause Big Headaches

 

Misuse of Your Company's Software Volume License Keys Can Cause Big Headaches

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376

Summary:
For unsuspecting users who receive counterfeit software through no fault of their own, some companies have services and promotional offers to help them obtain genuine software.

Keywords:
Misuse of Your Company's Software Volume License Keys Can Cause Big Headaches

Article Body:
It sounds harmless enough: An employee uses software at work and wants to continue using it at home. So he takes a copy of the software home, installs it and then validates it using his employer's volume license key (VLK)-a special code that software-makers issue to organizations with volume license agreements to allow activation of their software. But what happens when the employee shares that code with a friend? Or posts it to an Internet discussion board so all his friends can use it?

To those in the software industry, there are no shades of gray. Whether it's used by one person or 1 million people, a stolen VLK amounts to stolen software, and the ramifications can cause major problems for a business, a library, a university, or any organization that needs its software up and running.

Microsoft Corp. estimates that the majority of counterfeit software in use today employs VLKs that have been stolen, leaked or inadvertently misused. For the organization whose key is leaked and then used in piracy, remedying that situation can be time-consuming and a headache for IT administrators tasked to deal with it.

The software company must issue a replacement key, and then the organization must deploy the new product key again-across the entire enterprise. Of course, the amount of IT overhead involved depends on the size of the organization, but it can be expensive in terms of time and effort for the IT department.

So what can organizations do to better protect themselves from this problem? Most important, they should strictly control access to their VLKs. If new volume license agreements are issued, organizations should also use the new VLKs quickly. The better control they have over their VLKs, the less exposure they have to the risks of misuse.

For unsuspecting users who receive counterfeit software through no fault of their own, some companies have services and promotional offers to help them obtain genuine software, such as the Genuine Microsoft Software Web site at . According to those in the software industry, if you discover that your software is not genuine or that your VLK is no longer under your control, you should contact the licensing specialist or account manager who handled your software purchase.

 

Mobile Application Development

 

Mobile Application Development

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354

Summary:
With the ever-growing popularity of cell phones, PDAs and smart phones, mobile application development has entered its golden age.

Keywords:
mobile development,server side programming, xhtml,css,web design,web development ireland,

Article Body:
With the ever-growing popularity of cell phones, PDAs and smart phones, mobile application development has entered its golden age.  With this boom in technology, a new outreach of Java emerged - Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition, or J2ME.  J2ME provides a full-bodied, elastic environment for applications running on consumer devices, such as internet-ready smart phones and PDAs.  J2ME delivers the power and benefits of Java technology to consumer and embedded devices. J2ME includes great networked support, an ever-growing follower of programmers, and integrated applications that are as user-friendly as many desktop applications.

J2ME-based applications are able to take into account the specific characteristics of the devices they inhabit, making them capable of utilizing each device to its full potential.  In summation, J2ME is the standard for mobile application development today - with a following of software vendors, consumers, programmers, and marketers.  Although programmers aren't as common as they are for desktop applications, many firms offer great J2ME application development packages.  Full-service companies like Red Fly Studios, of Ireland, offer J2ME services at competitive rates. 

When coupled with a powerful operating system, J2ME can really begin to reach its full potential.  Symbian has been a power-player in the mobile operating system game for some time.  Symbian is a software licensing company.  Established as a private company in June 1998, Symbian has been around the mobile application development game for some time.  Symbian is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but employs over 1000 people in its worldwide offices.  During early 2005, 14.5 million phones were manufactured with Symbian operating systems, bringing the worldwide tally to 39 million Symbian-based phones.  Symbian refers to itself as "THE Mobile Operating System," and it's difficult to argue with numbers like those.

To conclude, mobile application development focuses on two things - a programming language, and an environment for it to manifest itself in.  Sun's Java outreach, J2ME, is a front-runner in the mobile application game.  Symbian is the definitive operating system (environment) for mobile applications.  When you're looking for mobile application development, it's important to consider these two factors and then find the development firm that suits your needs.

 

A Rested Mind Can Improve Your Productivity

 

A Rested Mind Can Improve Your Productivity

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697

Summary:
Imagine that you're working late at night on a project due in the morning. Your body is tired and your mind is numb, but this project must get done, so you push on. You continue to work, despite the distinct feeling that the project would be much easier if you went to bed and approached it again in the morning. You feel obligated to do it now, so you stay up until the wee hours of the morning, producing less than desirable work in much more time than it would have taken with ...

Keywords:
improve productivity,improve efficiency,strengthen memory,improve concentration,restful mind

Article Body:
Imagine that you're working late at night on a project due in the morning. Your body is tired and your mind is numb, but this project must get done, so you push on. You continue to work, despite the distinct feeling that the project would be much easier if you went to bed and approached it again in the morning. You feel obligated to do it now, so you stay up until the wee hours of the morning, producing less than desirable work in much more time than it would have taken with a rested mind. This was likely not the wisest move, since not only productivity was lost, but quality as well.

Having a rested mind really can make a difference in our daily productivity, whether it's work or housework we are trying to accomplish. Our minds were not meant to work for hours on end with no downtime. They need breaks and vacations. They need the ability to recharge from the daily overload of sensory and thought perceptions. Constantly running our minds on overtime without frequent periods of restoration can be detrimental to our work, our attitude, and even our physical health.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent your mind from working on overload. Follow these helpful tips and ideas for increasing your daily productivity:

Get more sleep – Adequate sleep is crucial to allowing our subconscious minds to let go of all the stress of the day. During sleep our minds recharge themselves, generating the stamina and renewed perception needed for a fresh new day. If we fail to get adequate sleep, our minds will be sluggish and slow, essentially shutting down from the overload of stimuli. This creates conditions in which we cannot effectively think, speak, or act to our fullest potential.

Without the level of awareness and alertness that a rested mind provides, our pace slows down and productivity is lost. When our minds are overworked we often fall into "space cadet" mode, and we have trouble focusing on the tasks at hand. Thoughts frequently wander, and the ability to concentrate is lost. Most people know how much sleep they require to feel refreshed, but we rarely allow ourselves such a luxury. Try viewing adequate sleep as an investment into your overall well-being, and reap the rewards the next morning.

Reduce stress – Excessive stress can be very debilitating. It makes us feel overwhelmed and distracts us from getting our work done, and even worse - it promotes the formation of negative thoughts. Stress can hinder our productivity by making us more scattered and unfocused. We are unable to concentrate on one thing at a time because the cause of the stress is always in the back our minds, demanding attention.

Reducing the stressors in our lives will go a long way in allowing us to lead more productive and happy lives. Try to remember that some things are just not worth worrying about, and there is no sense in stressing over things we have no control over. Since much of our stress is the result of worrying about things beyond our control, allowing ourselves to let go of these thoughts can greatly reduce the stress in our lives.

Quiet the mind – Meditation is a great way to quiet our minds and develop clear thought processes. Try this exercise at least once a day: Find a quiet room with no interruptions, sit in a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Allow all thoughts to leave your mind, and try to focus on the silence within you. As thoughts begin to float through your mind, simply push them gently but firmly back out. This technique takes practice to perfect, but sticking with it will help you to develop intense focus that can be harnessed in other ways as well.

Meditating on a regular basis will ultimately improve our productivity because we will develop the ability to focus clearly on each task, and ultimately get more done in less time.

These are just a few of the easy ways we can contribute to a rested mind, which will help us to release stress, improve our focus, and increase our productivity.

 

“Powering Off” or “Power On?”

 

"Powering Off" or "Power On?"

Word Count:
769

Summary:
Do you take your laptop on vacation?  Do you sometimes "hate" your cell phone or your Blackberry?  Harris Interactive recently reported that one-third of vacationers take their laptops on vacation.  During a Sunday meal at a restaurant recently, I observed a man sitting with his family talking on his cell phone -- obviously about business. He was not happy – neither was his family!

Keywords:
organizing, time management, travel,

Article Body:
Do you take your laptop on vacation?  Do you sometimes "hate" your cell phone or your Blackberry?  Harris Interactive recently reported that one-third of vacationers take their laptops on vacation.  During a Sunday meal at a restaurant recently, I observed a man sitting with his family talking on his cell phone -- obviously about business. He was not happy – neither was his family! 

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, "It is the best of times.  It is the worst of times."  Certainly that applies when it comes to "connectivity." Stories of 9-11 victims being able to communicate with family members in the last minutes of their lives warmed my heart, while the story my friend told of her mother answering her cell phone in the delivery room during the birth of her grandchild chilled my soul. 

How grateful I was for my cell phone when I came across a young woman stalled on an interstate without one, and I could immediately get help. How convenient it is on vacation to use the Internet to explore the options for entertainment in the area on a rainy afternoon, and get directions to find it easily.  How comforting to know that my family can reach me in case of an emergency – or something to celebrate! -- regardless of where I am in the world.  The same can be said for my colleagues. 

So here's the question:  Should you take your laptop on vacation?  Should your cell phone be on 24/7?  Clients often ask, "What should I do?"  My answer:  "That's the wrong question.  The question is "What will you do?"    Maybe an even better question would be "What would you like to do?"  Perhaps the best question of all is "What action will bring you the best results?"   In order to answer that question, you have to take the time to answer "What ARE your best results?" 

Repeatedly I have emphasized that one definition of "organization" is "controlling the things you can control, so you can cope with the things you can't."   In the complex world in which we live, especially with the level of connectivity available, it's easy to fall into the trap of feeling that we are victims of other people. I cringe when someone complains about having to answer their cell phone.  Says who?  If you don't want to be reached, you can "power off."  If you have to be reachable because your job requires it, then the question may be "Am I in the right job?"  Or, have you simply trained people that you are "always available."  Customer service is great, but it doesn't require 24/7 response.  It requires good communication.  It's highly frustrating to leave a message and get no response for days, but few situations would suffer if the response came one hour later so you could have lunch with a colleague without interruption. 

Connectivity can be addictive.  My daughter, who has her PhD in counseling, reminded me that an addiction is something that reduces the quality of your life and the people around you. 

So what does all this have to do with productivity?  My passion is helping individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so everyone can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives.  When used appropriately, connectivity does help you accomplish your work and enable you to play. It can also undermine your priorities at work, destroy your health, and poison your relationships when used inappropriately. 

The issue is not whether you take your laptop on vacation or leave your cell phone on 24/7. For some people, the ability to check e-mail once a day on vacation brings peace of mind and can be done when others are sleeping or swimming. For others, the whole idea of a vacation is not taking your laptop. There is no "right" or "wrong."  The question is whether your choice is enhancing or diminishing your life and the lives of the people around you.

So "Power Off" or "Power On?" – it's truly up to you!

 

Economy: How to Avoid Overextending Yourself

Economy: How to Avoid Overextending Yourself

Word Count:
344

Summary:
The U.S. is the world's largest economy and is moving into its fifth year of expansion. The biggest risk is the housing market which is expected to slow this year and potentially drag the economy down with it. Many people are betting that the housing market will avoid a major crash but instead will plateau leaving prices stagnant. The resulting rise in interest rates could put a lot of families under financial stress.

Keywords:
finance, housing, credit card, economy, 2006

Article Body:
The U.S. is the world's largest economy and is moving into its fifth year of expansion. The biggest risk is the housing market which is expected to slow this year and potentially drag the economy down with it. Many people are betting that the housing market will avoid a major crash but instead will plateau leaving prices stagnant. The resulting rise in interest rates could put a lot of families under financial stress.

A housing market that is not growing quickly turns into a buyer's market. People will have a number of houses to choose from which will block any increasing value for current home owners. To most home owners this will not be a problem because they have conventional fixed-rate mortgages and only need to wait until the market improves. People who have unconventional 5-year arms and interest only loans may be seriously hurt; especially if interest rates rise.

"I think one of the principal risks is whether or not home prices decline and the impact that that will have in terms of influencing the savings rate and personal consumption growth  as we have already seen in the U.K. and Australia" said David Rosenberg a U.S. economist at Merrill Lynch (Wolk, 2005).

A bigger problem is people's personal savings rates. Because debt is so easy today and most families are at a maximum borrowing limit many people who will see a jump in their interest payments may begin to default. This default raises the interest rate even further due to increased risks associated with lending money. In the end many people will not have money to spend or save which could have serious consequences for the economy as a whole.

The best measure to avoid such pit falls is to put a larger sum down on your house during purchase which gives you a cushion to work with incase you need to sell your house quickly. The second measure is to avoid all credit card balances, home equity loans and charge cards. Finally, only engage in fixed-rate mortgages.

 

401(k) Participants Turn to Pros For Help Managing Their Money

401(k) Participants Turn to Pros For Help Managing Their Money

Word Count:
301

Summary:
You're a computer engineer, or a nurse, or a graphic designer. Just keeping current in your own specialty is an effort. So what happens to your 401(k) retirement plan while you're off doing what you do?

Keywords:
401(k) Participants Turn to Pros For Help Managing Their Money

Article Body:
You're a computer engineer, or a nurse, or a graphic designer. Just keeping current in your own specialty is an effort. So what happens to your 401(k) retirement plan while you're off doing what you do?

Does it just languish, forgotten, in some dusty corner of your mind? Are you, among millions of others, crossing your fingers and hoping your portfolio will provide?

Thanks to changes in the industry, investors now can get more help managing their 401(k) accounts. In the past, to prevent conflicts of interest, defined contribution plan providers could make only general asset class recommendations. But regulations now allow financial service companies to hire independent, third-party financial advisers like Ibbotson Associates to manage individual investors' 401(k) accounts.

Those who choose professional help will find that the money in their portfolio will be allocated appropriately to funds in their existing plan, rebalanced regularly and adjusted over time to meet changing life circumstances. And these programs are catching on.

Ibbotson is the independent third-party advisor for 401(k) managed account programs run by AIG VALIC, Fidelity, Great-West Retirement Services, Merrill Lynch, the Principal Financial Group and TIAA-CREF. Although 401(k) managed accounts are only two years old, participation in such programs is increasing rapidly. Currently there is over $10 billion in 401(k) managed account programs, and that number is expected to reach $300 billion in 2010, according to industry research firm TowerGroup.

A major reason for the growth is that many employees don't know how to manage their retirement plans. Human resources firm Hewitt Associates found that only 16 percent of 401(k) plan participants made any changes to their accounts in 2004. The study also found that, while some employees were not aggressive enough with their investments, others took on too much risk. For example, participants concentrated about 27 percent of their 401(k) assets in their company stock.

 

Online Banking Success Stories

Online Banking Success Stories

Word Count:
444

Summary:
Online banking is here to stay. Let's look at 7 winners capturing the attention of American consumers.

Keywords:
online banking, ebanks, savings, investments, MetLife Bank, ING Direct, loans, money, certificates of deposit,  mutual funds, stocks, retirement funds, mortgages, equity loans, lines of credit

Article Body:
You have seen their ads and you may have wondered if they are worth a second look. What am I talking about? Online banks! Also known as internet banks, these are financial institutions who provide the majority of their banking services over the internet. Typically, online banks offer consumers high savings rates, low loan rates, and a mix of other services. Let's look at 7 winners in this fast growing field:

1. E Trade Bank Part of E Trade Financial, the discount internet stockbroker. E Trade Bank offers checking accounts, money markets, and certificates of deposits as well as a VISA credit card.

2. Netbank Along with offering checking and money market accounts, Netbank provides mortgage and home equity lines of credit to customers. With tie-ins to affiliated companies Netbank also offers Auto, Homeowners, Condo/Co-op & Renters Insurance and Life, Health, Long Term Care & Dental Insurance.

3. Virtual Bank VirtualBank, a division of Lydian Private Bank, is a federally chartered bank regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision. The bank offers checking, savings, and credit card services to customers.

4. Ever Bank This leading internet provider of banking services offers the most extensive, and varied services of any online institution. Ever Bank offers business and personal checking accounts, mortgages, home equity loans/lines of credit, reverse mortgages, a VISA credit card, and world currency accounts. This latter category is for investing in Deposit accounts and CDs denominated in any major world currency.

5. Emigrant Direct Part of Emigrant Savings Bank which traces its roots back to 1850 as a service provider to Irish immigrants. Emigrant has $10 billion in assets and more than $1 billion in net worth. It operates as a full service bank through 36 branches in the New York metropolitan area, and through EmigrantDirect.com. Emigrant offers only consumer services online; their high paying savings account is a chief investment vehicle.

6. ING DirectING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. ING offers mortgages, loans/lines of credit, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and money market mutual funds through another division.

7. MetLife Bank Yes, MetLife. A division of insurance powerhouse Metropolitan Life, MetLife Bank offers savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, mortgages, and IRAs to consumers.

If you are banking exclusively with a "brick and mortar" institution you may be missing out on high paying investment options or competitive loan rates that easily undercut many traditional banking entities. These online banking success stories are only part of a growing number of savvy providers, some of whom are definitely worth a closer look by you, the consumer.

 

5 Practical Tips for All-Season Energy Savings

5 Practical Tips for All-Season Energy Savings

Word Count:
395

Summary:
Replacing windows and doors is the fourth most common home-remodeling project and experts say it can dramatically reduce utility bills. Yet when it comes to choosing more energy-efficient options, consumers might be overwhelmed by the whirlwind of technology, terminology and options on the market today.

Keywords:
5 Practical Tips for All-Season Energy Savings

Article Body:
Replacing windows and doors is the fourth most common home-remodeling project and experts say it can dramatically reduce utility bills. Yet when it comes to choosing more energy-efficient options, consumers might be overwhelmed by the whirlwind of technology, terminology and options on the market today.

Homeowners need to be armed with accurate information in order to make the best choices about the many available options. That's especially true as energy costs continue to climb. The Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program estimates that the savings from replacing single-pane with Energy Star-qualified windows ranges from $125 to $340 a year for a typical home.

Since this is the time of year when many homeowners embark on remodeling projects, here are five basic tips for selecting the most energy efficient windows and doors for your home.

* Use Low-E glass. Select windows with Low-E glass, which controls the amount of heat transferred through the window and prevents heat loss in the winter. Jeld-Wen, a window and door manufacturer, now offers Low-E glass as a standard for its wood and clad wood windows and as an upgrade option for its vinyl windows.

* Update technology. Replace older single-pane windows with dual-pane units, which insulate the home from both cold and hot weather. Using both Low-E glass and insulating glass units will reduce home energy costs.

* Consider how they're made. Choose doors with energy-efficient cores, sills and frames that provide a barrier to energy exchange. Dual-pane, Low-E glass helps ensure that they will be weathertight and energy efficient. For example, studies show that over time, steel doors made with polystyrene maintain energy ratings better than doors made with polyurethane.

* Understand the standards. Efficiency ratings are based on U-factor, which is the amount of heat flow through a product. The lower the U-factor, the more efficient the product. Efficiency also is measured by Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which indicates the ability to block heat generated by sunlight. The lower the SHGC, the better. Finally, experts evaluate Visible Light Transmission, which is the percentage of sunlight that is able to penetrate a window or door. Higher percentages mean more light will enter through the glass.

* Focus on efficiency, not bells and whistles. Manufacturers achieve efficiency in different ways. No matter what technology is employed, one of the easiest ways to identify the most energy-efficient products is to simply look for the Energy Star label.

 

5 Easy Ways To Cut Your Household Expenses

5 Easy Ways To Cut Your Household Expenses

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366

Summary:
Are you shocked when seeing your household expenditures every month? The expenses seem to increase every month. If you are in this situation, try these 5 recommendations before your extra paid money will accumulate to a significant amount!

1. Recycle those junk letters.
Each month, you will probably received a dozen or more letters from direct mailing companies in your mailbox. Some of these letters are printed on one side only. Collect these letters and combined them i...

Keywords:
billing guide,bill,billing,billing secrets,aol billing

Article Body:
Are you shocked when seeing your household expenditures every month? The expenses seem to increase every month. If you are in this situation, try these 5 recommendations before your extra paid money will accumulate to a significant amount!

1. Recycle those junk letters.
Each month, you will probably received a dozen or more letters from direct mailing companies in your mailbox. Some of these letters are printed on one side only. Collect these letters and combined them into a writing pad. You can also used them to print draft documents. Besides saving money, you are also saving a lot of trees.

2. Install water saving kit in your toilet cistern.
When flushing the toilet, the amount of water used is usually more than is required. By installing a water saving kit in the cistern, the amount of water saved can be as much as three gallons per month.

3. Use the fan
Whenever possible, use the fan. The air conditioner is a major contributor to your utility bill. By using the fan, not only are you saving on your utility bill, you are also building up your body's tolerance to heat. Your chances of getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke during the hot summer season are greatly reduced.

4. Do not throw away that old bar of soap yet.
As your wash your hands with soap on a daily basis, the bar will become smaller and smaller until it is almost unusable. Instead of throwing it away, simply stick the old bar of soap onto the new one. Just make sure both of them are wet when sticking them together.

5. Cut the tube of toothpaste into half.
When you can no longer squeeze out any toothpaste from the tube, just cut it in-half. There is some more toothpaste left that can last you for a couple of days if you have a large family. If you live alone or with your spouse only, the extra toothpaste can last up to five days or even more.

Start cultivating these useful habits today and make them a part of your daily life. You will be pleasantly pleased when you notice your household expense start to decline bit by bit as time goes on.

Money-Saving Tips For Every Homeowner

Money-Saving Tips For Every Homeowner

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357

Summary:
Losing weight. Finding a new job. Spending more time with the family. A new year means setting new goals. Why not make saving money one of them?

Keywords:
4 Money-Saving Tips For Every Homeowner

Article Body:
Losing weight. Finding a new job. Spending more time with the family. A new year means setting new goals. Why not make saving money one of them?

If you're a homeowner, there are many ways you can cut costs and still live comfortably. The following tips will help lead you to financial success.

* First, set a budget. Figure out exactly how much you spend on the upkeep of your home. Compare each month's expenses with the previous month's to get a better idea of how much to budget for each necessity. Then, see what costs you can cut. Once you set a budget, stick to it.

* Save energy. You might be losing a substantial amount of energy dollars during the winter and summer because of air leaks. By caulking, sealing and weather-stripping all cracks and openings, you can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill.

Also, look into replacing older appliances with newer, more energy-efficient alternatives. Your light bulbs can make a difference, too. Fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs.

* Refinance. Shop around to see if you can replace your existing home loan with one that has a lower interest rate. You can easily save hundreds of dollars each month by refinancing your home.

* Purchase a home warranty. Most homeowners don't account for possible repairs in their annual budget. There is a 68 percent likelihood of a home system or appliance failure in a given year. The average replacement cost of one of these systems or appliances is $1,085. A home warranty is your best defense against unexpected and costly repairs to your home's appliances and mechanical systems.

The American Home Shield Home Warranty, for example, ensures you get the best possible service through the company's network of pre-screened technicians. The minute something breaks down, you can contact American Home Shield and a local service technician will schedule an appointment that fits your schedule. The warranty covers a multitude of household systems and appliances, regardless of age.

The American Home Shield Home Warranty is a one-year contract that requires no home inspection to enroll. Several affordable plans are available to fit every budget.

 

Ways to Save Money Instantly Online

Ways to Save Money Instantly Online

Word Count:
805

Summary:
There are three easy and fast ways to save money online.  Find these helpful tips and advice to help you save the most money on your next online purchase.

Keywords:
coupons, coupon codes, rebates online, mypoints

Article Body:
In today's world, shopping in "brick and mortar" stores seems so backward, dated, and boring. Millions of people each year sit in their jammies while drinking wine and shop for clothes, household goods, gifts, and just about anything else you can imagine.

One of the great benefits to shopping online is the various coupon, rebate and dollar-back programs available. If you click through a link, or use a coupon code, your savings can be substantial. In addition, you get all the myriad benefits of shopping online - no children to drag through stores, no gas costs to get there and back, and no hassle of dealing with crowds.

So, once you're convinced to shop online, where can you find the savings? There are several ways to save money online. Let's start with coupons.

Coupons

This is a fairly standard. Go to one of the coupon sites (many will be provided below) and look for the store you want to shop with, or search by category, depending on your needs. Be sure to click "apply" when you enter the coupon during checkout.

Although in the early days of online shopping, coupon codes were plentiful and generous (frequently you could find $10 off a $10 purchase with free shipping), good coupons these days are hard to find. Some stores (like Lands' End) rarely offer coupons while others (L.L. Bean) often offer free shipping on any size order. When you order, or even if you don't order, be sure to sign up with the website either by registering or signing up for coupons. These direct-email coupons are often some of the best you'll ever find.

Here are some excellent coupon sites to get you started:

MyBargainBuddy.com -- Here, a mom compiles good deals and coupon codes for you. Some of the best deals need no coupon at all, but if there's a good deal and a coupon to go with it, all the better.

FatWallet.com -- Lots of codes here along with active message boards where other deals can be found.

MyCoupons.com -- The most beneficial part of this site are the message boards, which are alive with the sound of people saving money. Check out the posts that have stickies on them at the start of each forum - there are often some good links to printable coupons here for favorites like Toys R Us and Chuck e Cheese.

One note: If you are looking for a code for a certain store, don't assume that if it's not available at one website, it doesn't exist. There are different codes at different sites. Visit several coupon sites before giving up hope that a code does in fact exist for that store.

Rebates

Here's how the big daddy of online rebate programs works. Go to Ebates.com and sign up for an account. There's a sign up bonus of $5, so you already have a free $5 coming to you. Then, when you go shopping, check Ebates before heading directly to an online store. Even if you have a coupon from another site, click through the store link on the Ebates page for more savings.

Let's say you choose a new jacket from Kohls and you have a $10 off a $75 purchase. Great. Keeping the coupon code in hand, you head to Ebates and find Kohls among the list of stores. This store offers 2% back, so you click through the Kohls link on the Ebates page, and make your purchase. Not only do you benefit from the coupon code you applied, but also got an extra 2% back on your purchase. Not a bad deal. Ebates will send money to your Paypal account or send you a check.

Points

Not everyone knows about the various point programs available, but since you can earn points without doing any shopping, the points programs are worth knowing.

Visit MyPoints.com and sign up for an account. My Points will send emails (sometimes daily, sometimes several in one day). You click a link in the mail and automatically get 5 points. Sign up for an offer or make a purchase through that link and earn even more points, from hundreds to thousands of points per offer.

My Points is most useful, however, when you're shopping online. It's like Ebates in that you click through a link on the My Points site, and you get points for your purchase. Most stores offer a certain number of points (2 to 4 on average) per dollar spent. Once you have at least 1,000 points, you can redeem the points for gift certificates for restaurants, gas, travel and clothing.

You can't use Ebates and My Points in the same purchase, so if a store is linked through both Ebates and My Points, you have to decide which is the better deal for you. Whenever possible, try to combine a coupon code with the My Points or Ebates deal.

 

3 Things You Must Have to Make Lots of Money Fast

3 Things You Must Have to Make Lots of Money Fast

Word Count:
577

Summary:
You can literally become a money sucking magnet and be among those who can brag of making money fast.  These principles are easy to follow and very effective, granted that you follow them

Keywords:
make money fast, make money faster

Article Body:
Where ever you are presently in your life you can begin to make large   amounts of money very fast if you understand a few simple principles.  Despite what anyone may tell you these principles of generating money fast do work.

These principles are not difficult but in order to understand them you must process them.  You must take the time to give them some thought, until the thought becomes a part of your very being. 

How to make money fast is one of the hot topics on everyone's mind.  Most people will tell you that claims of making fast money is a hokes.  Those are the very people who believe that only hard work and struggle can create money.  However despite the hard work, the concept of fast money is still not part of the equation.  After all if you are working very hard you are unlikely to be making the sort of fast money that you would dream of.

I can tell you from first hand experience that fast money does not come through hard work.  If you are marketing your business or interested in accumulating more money struggling will only kill your changes of getting money in a fast and easily way.

     --The First Step--

The first think you need in order to make fast money is to have a clear goal.  How much do you want?  You would be so surprise at how many people want more money but don't have a clear idea as to how much they want.

Without a clear goal your desire is just a wish, it is not concrete.  Be specific about how much money you want and by when you would like to have it.

     --The Second Step—

The very next step is to take inspired action.  Inspired action comes from the universe as a nudge.  It's the perfect idea, job or business that will help you in getting your goal accomplished. 

It makes no sense trying to do something that your neighbor or your coworker tried.  What is an ideal opportunity to make fast money for them may not be ideal for you.  Besides your goals are unique and the opportunities that are rightfully aligned for you are rightfully suited for you to reach your goal in the time that you desire.

     --The Third Step—

The third most powerful step is to have a clear and bright vision of your goal.  This is where most people fail.  Most people get caught up in fear and worry that their goal will not be able to materialize and spend lots of wasted time holding back on their actions.

How many times have you been offered a great idea which you may have promised to do but allowed your fears to get in the way?

You must be able to hold your vision in such a way as to feed it with your own personal powerful intention that your vision will materializes money a lot faster than usual.

Many people who understand the power of holding a clear vision have gone on to make money very fast again and again.  Those are the ones who deeply understood the precise way.  With a little time and your deep desire you can literally suck money to you faster.

Over the years I can honestly say that I have tested all these theories and without fail they work in generating money faster than if I did not practice these methods.

 

Forecasting the Future Value of Your Roth-IRA or Roth-401(k)

Forecasting the Future Value of Your Roth-IRA or Roth-401(k)</p>

Word Count:
332

Summary:
Curious about how much money you'll accumulate in your Roth-IRA or Roth-401(k)? Just use Microsoft Excel to calculate a pretty good estimate says author and CPA Stephen L.  Nelson.

Keywords:
roth, roth ira, roth 401(k), roth 401(k), retirement, investing

Article Body:
Curious about how much money you'll accumulate in your Roth retirement account?

If you've got Microsoft Excel (or just about any other popular spreadsheet program) running on your computer, you can use its FV function to forecast the future value of your Roth IRA or Roth 401(k).

The FV function calculates the future value of an investment given its interest rate, the number of payments, the payment, the present value of the investment, and, optionally, the type-of-annuity switch.  (More about the type-of-annuity switch a little later.)

The function uses the following syntax:

=FV(rate,nper,pmt,pv,type)

This little pretty complicated, I grant you. But suppose you want to calculate the future value of an individual retirement account that's already got $20,000 in it and to which you are contributing $400-a-month. Further suppose that you want to know the account balance—its future value—in 25 years and that you expect to earn 10% annual interest.

To calculate the future value of the individual retirement account in this case using the FV function, you enter the following into a worksheet cell:

=FV(10%/12,25*12,-400,-20000,0)

The function returns the value 771872.26—roughly $772,000 dollars.

A handful of things to note: To convert the 10% annual interest to a monthly interest rate, the formula divides the annual interest rate by 12. Similarly, to convert the 25-year term to a term in months, the formula multiplies 25 by 12.

Also, notice that the monthly payment and initial present values show as negative amounts because they represent cash outflows. And the function returns the future value amount as a positive value because it reflects a cash inflow you ultimately receive.

That 0 at the end of the function is the type-of-annuity switch. If you set the type-of-annuity switch to 1, Excel assumes payments occur at the beginning of the period (month in this case), following the annuity due convention. If you set the annuity switch to 0 or you omit the argument, Excel assumes payments occur at the end of the period following the ordinary annuity convention.